Gunmen kill 5 at bus station in central Mexican resort

MEXICO CITY -- Five men were shot and killed at an interstate bus terminal in the central Mexican city of Cuernavaca early Monday, local officials said.

The execution-style killings sent shock waves through Cuernavaca, a popular weekend getaway in Morelos state for wealthy Mexican residents.

"This was an execution, they planned this," Morelos Gov. Cuauhtemoc Blanco told reporters.

Authorities investigating the case said it appeared the assailants were specifically targeting the victims, not carrying out an attack on the terminal, which belongs to the Estrella de Oro (Gold Star) bus line.

Another man was injured in the attack at 4:40 am local time, and was taken to hospital.

Local media said armed men in pursuit of the victims opened fire in the parking area and the ticket selling area of the terminal, which was temporarily closed after the incident.

The state security commission said average citizens were not at risk from "the fight between criminal rings."

Homicides have shot up in Morelos state due to warfare between rival organized crime rings involved in drug dealing and extortion, according to officials.